Dispensing containers for sheet wrapping material



w. A. KLEIN 2,857,046

" Oct. 21, 1958 DISPENSING CONTAINERS FOR SHEET WRAPPING MATERIAL FiledMay 31; 1956 INVENTOR. Wa/z'er H, K/e/n HTTORNE Y6 United States PatentDISPENSING CONTAINERS FOR SHEET WRAPPING MATERIAL Walter A. Klein,Midland, Micln, assignor to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich, acorporation of Delaware Application May 31, 1956, Serial No. 588,455

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-58) This invention concerns certain improvements inand relating to dispensing containers for sheet material, par ticularlyplastic film and the like, for wrapping purposes which is packaged inWound rolls that are provided in the container. More particularly, thisinvention has reference to a dispensing container having a means forpreventing recoil of the withdrawn exposed portion of the sheet or filmmaterial stored therein.

The conventional dispenser cartons in which relative y small rolls ofwaxed paper, plastic film, metal foil and other commonly employedwrapping materials are packaged for domestic and analogous uses are notordinarily adapted to prevent recoil or feed back of the withdrawn sheetinto the container after a desired length has been severed from the rollon the associated cutting strip which is usually provided near theoutlet of such containers.

It would be advantageous to provide an improved dispensing container forrolls of sheet wrapping material, particularly plastic film, havingintegrally associated therewith a simple, positive and efiicient meansfor preventing the recoil of sheet material after it has been withdrawnfrom the supply roll. This desirable result and other advantages andbenefits may be realized in accordance with the present invention whichcomprises, in combination with a wound supply package of sheet wrappingmaterial, a core for supporting said supply package having a ratchetedend, a container for receiving said supply package having an outletthrough which sheet material from the supply package is dispensed, and astar wheel-like pawl positioned in said container generally concentricwith said core, said pawl flatly abutting against and interdigitatingwith the ratcheted end' of said core thereby limiting the rotatabilityof said supply package for withdrawal of sheet material therefrom to thesingle direction permitted by said incorporated ratchet arrangement.Advantageously, at least two radiating spokes or teeth are available onsaid star wheel-like pawl for interdigitating with and engaging theratcheted end of said core. It may also be beneficial, in certaininstances, to provide associated means in or with said container formaintaining the pawl thrust flatly against the ratcheted end of saidcore to insure an efiicient engagement therebetween.

In Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing there is shown in fragmentaryperspective view a supply package, indicated generally by the referencenumeral 8, of sheet wrapping material 22 wound in roll form about asuitable core 9 having a notched or ratcheted end 10. The wound roll isadapted to be placed in an accommodating container, indicated generallyby the reference numeral 11, as shown in the fragmentary, brokenout planview of Figure 2. The container 11 has an outlet 25 along one of itslongitudinal edges for withdrawing the sheet wrapping material. A starwheel-like pawl 12, positioned generally concentric with the core 9 andsubstantially parallel with the end wall 14 of the container 11, isstationarily afiixed within the container and thrust against ormaintained in an interdigitating engagement 2,857,046 Patented Oct. 21,.1958 ICE with the ratcheted end 10 of the core. The engagement betweenthe ratcheted end 10 of the core 9 and the star wheel-like pawl is alsoillustrated in elevation in the cross-sectional view of Figure 3, takenalong the line 33 in Figure 2. It is usually desirable for the length ofthe container 11 and that of the core 9 to be in relatively closeconformance. Besides providing more efficient utilization of thecontainer, it permits the opposite end wall to have some influence oreffect in maintaining the core and the pawl 12 in mutual engagement.Advantageously, as is illustrated in Figure 3, a plurality of radiating,interdigitating teeth are provided on the pawl 12 to engage a pluralityof the notches on the ratcheted end 10 of the core 9.

It is convenient for the pawl 12 to be an integral portion of thecontainer 11 so that it may be provided in place with a minimum ofmanipulation and handling on assembly of the container. This may beaccomplished readily by utilizing, for the assembly of the container, ablank which is similar to the blank 11B illustrated in Figure 4. In theblank 11B, the pawl 12 is formed from and provided as an extension of atuck flap from the side portion 16. Thus, during assembly of thecontainer, the pawl 12 may be bent along the dotted lines from the tuckflap which is sealed against the upturned end portion 14 of thecontainer. The pawl 12 is thereby made available in the assembledcontainer for engagement with the ratcheted end 10 of the core 9 uponloading of the container with the wound roll of sheet material. Thedotted lines, which are drawn in Figure 4 merely to delineate thefolding operations that are required on the blank 11B when assemblingthe container 11 therefrom, also define the opposite end wall 15, thetuck flaps 14F and 15F on the end walls, the back side 17 for thecontainer, the container joining tuck flaps 16F and 17F on the sides ofthe container and the cover and cover tuck flap 18 and 18F,respectively.

It is usually beneficial, as mentioned, to provide a means in thecontainer for maintaining the pawl 12 away from the end wall 14 in thecontainer and thrust in engagement with the ratcheted end 10 of the core9. This is especially desirable when a unilaterally mounted and securedpawl, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing, is employed. Itmay be simply accomplished and provided for by merely indenting orpunching through the end wall 14 of the container at any time before orafter its assembly or loading with the wound roll of sheet material.Thus, as shown in Figure 2 and illustrated exteriorly of the containerin Figure '5, the protrusion that is formed by the punched indent 20serves as an expedient means to this end. It is usually desirable toprovide the indent 20 after the container has been assembled and loaded.Other means may also be employed for this purpose such as resilientfolded strips and other thrust-providing contrivances.

If desired, a pawl similar to the pawl 23 which is illustrated in Figure6 may be employed in order to completely interdigitate with and engageall of the notches in the ratcheted end 10 of the core 9. Such a varietyof star wheel-like pawls may be mounted in the container in any desiredmanner. For example, as is depicted in the fragmentary, broken-out planview of the container 11 containing the supply package 8 in Figure 7 ofthe drawing, the central supports 24, which may also be resilient, maybe employed for fastening the pawl 23 to the end wall 14 of thecontainer and for maintaining it thrust in engagement with the ratchetedend 10 of the core 9.

Advantageously, a suitable cutting strip 19 may be provided parallel andcoextensive with the outlet 25 which is formed between the cover tuckflap 18F and the front side 16 of the container 11. The cutting strip 19may be provided on any desired edge of the container. For

example, it may be adjacent to the outlet 25, as is shown in Figure 5 ofthe drawing. Or, as illustrated in Figure 3, greater exposed portions ofthe unsevered sheet material 22 from the wound roll may be provided forgrasping'by locating the cutting strip 19 along the lower front edgeofthe container 11.

As is apparent, the ratchet arrangement of the present inventionprevents recoil of the withdrawn sheet material to insure that anextending portion of the sheet will remain in an accessible positionnear the container outlet after a desired length has been withdrawn andsevered from the roll. In addition, it does not complicate the insertingoperations when placing the wound roll in the container, since a preciseor critical initial relative positioning is not required between thecore and star Wheel-like pawl to achieve advantageous subsequentresults. It also assists in obtaining a better cutting or tearing actionof the sheet material withdrawn from the package on the cutting meansthat may be associated with the container.

Dispensing containers in accordance with the present invention may beemployed with particular advantage for plastic wrapping films such asthose which are comprised of copolymers of vinylidene chloride and vinylchloride which may frequently be generically characterized as beingsarans and which enjoy great favor as a wrapping material for domesticand other uses.

What is claimed is: v

1. In combination, a wound supply package of sheet Wrapping material, aheadless core for supporting said package, said core being notched so asto have a ratcheted end, a container for receiving said supply packagehaving an outlet through which sheet material from the supply package isdispensed, a star wheel-like pawl positioned in said container generallyconcentric with said core, said pawl flatly abutting against andinterdigitating with the ratcheted end of said core, and an indentformed in said container to press against said star wheel-like pawl formaintaining it in position against the ratcheted end of said core.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said sheet wrapping material isplastic film.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS527,644 Akers Oct. 16, 1894 554,769 Brownell Feb. 18, 1896 1,366,241Burch Jan. 18, 1921 1,415,722 Silverman May 9, 1922 2,624,521 BroerenJan. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 211,074 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1924 469,522Great Britain July 27, 1937

